PRECAUTIONS
SURGE ABSORBERS
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4. Soldering ◆Selection of Flux
1. When soldering Spark Gaps on the board, flux should be
applied thinly and evenly.
2. Flux used should be with less than or equal to 0.1 wt%
(equivalent to Chroline) of halogenated content. Flux hav-
ing a strong acidity content should not be applied.
3. When using water-soluble flux, special care should be taken
to properly clean the boards.
◆Wave Soldering
1.Temperature, time, amount of solder, etc. are specified in
accordance with the following recommended conditions.
2. Do not immerse the entire Spark Gaps in the flux during the
soldering operation. Only solder the lead wires on the bot-
tom of the board.
1. Flux is used to increase solderability in wave soldering, but if too much is applied, a large
amount of flux gas may be emitted and may detrimentally affect solderability. To minimize
the amount of flux applied, it is recommended to use a flux-bubbling system.
2. With too much halogenated substance (Chlorine, etc.) content is used to activate the
flux, an excessive amount of residue after soldering may lead to corrosion of the terminal
electrodes or degradation of insulation resistance on the surface of the capacitors.
3. Since the residue of water-soluble flux is easily dissolved by water content in the air, the
residue on the surface of capacitors in high humidity conditions may cause a degradation
of insulation resistance and therefore affect the reliability of the components. The clean-
ing methods and the capability of the machines used should also be considered carefully
when selecting water-soluble flux.
1. If Spark Gaps are used beyond the range of the recommended conditions, heat stresses
may cause cracks inside the Spark Gaps, and consequently degrade the reliability of the
Spark Gaps.
5. Cleaning ◆Board cleaning
1. When cleaning the mounted PC boards, make sure that cleaning
conditions are consistent with prescribed usage conditions.
1. The resin material used for the outer coating of capacitors is occasionally a wax sub-
stance for moisture resistance which can easily be dissolved by some solutions. So
before cleaning, special care should be taken to test the components vulnerability to
the solutions used.
When using water-soluble flux please clean the PCB with purified water sufficiently
and dry thoroughly at the end of the process. Insufficient washing or drying could
lower the reliability of the capacitors.
6. Post-cleaning-process ◆Application of resin molding, etc. to the PCB and compo-
nents.
1. Please contact your local Taiyo Yuden sales office before
performing resin coating or molding on mounted capacitors.
Please verify on the actual application that the coating pro-
cess will not adversely affect the component quality.
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1-1. The thermal expansion and coefficient of contraction of the molded resin are not nec-
essarily matched with those of the Spark Gaps. The Spark Gaps may be exposed to
stresses due to thermal expansion and contraction during and after hardening. This may
lower the specified characteristics and insulation resistance or cause reduced withstand
voltage by cracking the ceramic or separating the coated resin from the ceramics.
1-2. With some types of mold resins, the resin's decomposition gas or reaction gas may
remain inside the resin during the hardening period or while left under normal conditions,
causing a deterioration of the capacitor's performance.
1-3. Some mold resins may have poor moisture proofing properties. Please verify the con-
tents of the resins before they are applied.
1-4. Please contact Taiyo Yuden before using if the hardening process temperature of the
mold resins is higher than the operating temperature of the Spark Gaps.
Technical considerationsStages Precautions
Precautions on the use of Spark Gaps
◆Mechanical considerations
1. Be careful not to subject the Spark Gaps to excessive me-
chanical shocks. Withstanding voltage failure may result.
2. If Spark Gaps are dropped onto the floor or a hard surface
they should not be used.
1. Because the Spark Gaps is made of ceramic, mechanical shocks applied to the
board may damage or crack the Spark Gaps.
2.Spark Gaps which are dropped onto the floor or a hard surface may develop defects
and have a higher risk of failure over time.
7. Handling
1. Under high temperature/high humidity conditions, the decrease in solderability due to
the oxidation of terminal electrodes and deterioration of taping and packaging char-
acteristics may be accelerated.
◆Storage
1. To maintain the solderability of terminal electrodes and to keep
the packaging material in good condition, care must be taken
to control temperature and humidity in the storage area. Hu-
midity should especially be kept as low as possible. Recom-
mended conditions: Ambient temperature Below 40 ℃ Humid-
ity Below 70% RH. Products should be used within 12 months
after delivery. After the above period, the solderability should
be checked before using the Spark Gaps.
2. Spark Gaps should not be kept in an environment filled with
decomposition gases such as (sulfurous hydrogen, sulfurous
acid, chlorine, ammonia, etc.)
3. Spark Gaps should not be kept in a location where they may
be exposed to moisture, condensation or direct sunlight.
8. Storage conditions